noun
maiden
MAY-duhn/ˈmeɪdn/
A young unmarried woman, especially in literary language.
The young maiden catches the bride's bouquet among the wedding guests.
Etymology
Old English mægden already meant a girl or unmarried woman and was a diminutive of a word for a girl or woman. The selected sense preserves that association with youth and unmarried status.
In context
The baby was born in the maiden's chamber at court, the room where the unmarried ladies slept.
More examples
- A maiden appears at the castle gate in the poem.
- The ballad describes a brave maiden rescuing her brother.
- The storyteller called the young woman a maiden.
Forms
maiden · maidens
Similar words
- young woman
- The ordinary modern description.